वेश्यापुत्रो वसिष्ठश्च अन्ये सिद्धा द्विजादयः। तस्मात्सच्छोत्रियादीनां शृणु पुत्रक लक्षणम्
Vasistha was the son of a courtesan, and there are other accomplished twice-born as well; therefore, listen, my child, to the marks of true Vedic scholars.
धरायां तीर्थभूतानां सर्वपापहराय च। जन्मना ब्राह्मणो ज्ञेयः संस्कारैर्द्विज उच्यते१२९ द्विज। विद्यया याति विप्रत्वं त्रिभिः श्रोत्रियलक्षणम् विप्र। विद्यापूतो मंत्रपूतो वेदपूतस्तथैव च
On earth, those who are like sacred places and removers of all sins—by birth one is called a Brahmin, by sacraments a twice-born, by knowledge one attains the status of a Brahmin; these are the three marks of a Vedic scholar: purified by knowledge, by mantra, and by the Veda.
तीर्थस्नानादिभिर्मेध्यो विप्रः पूज्यतमः स्मृतः। नारायणे सदा भक्तः शुद्धांतःकरणस्तथा
A Brahmin purified by bathing at sacred places and similar rites is regarded as most worthy of honor; one who is always devoted to Narayana and whose inner mind is pure likewise.
जितेंद्रियो जितक्रोधस्समः सर्वजनेषु च। गुरुदेवातिथेर्भक्तः पित्रोः शुश्रूषणे रतः
He who has mastered his senses and anger, who is impartial to all people, who is devoted to his teacher, gods, and guests, and who delights in serving his parents.
परदारे मनो यस्य कदाचिन्नैव मोदते। पुराणकथको नित्यं धर्माख्यानस्य संततिः
One whose mind never finds pleasure in another's wife, who always narrates the Puranas, and who continually propagates the teachings of dharma.
अस्यैव दर्शनान्नित्यमश्वमेधादिजं फलम्। संलापे गतिमेत्यस्य भागीरथ्या प्लवस्य च
Merely seeing such a person daily grants the fruit of horse-sacrifice; conversing with him leads to liberation, and one shares in the merit of bathing in the Ganges.
व्रतैश्च विविधैः पूतो नित्यस्नानद्विजार्चनैः। मित्रामित्रे दयालुः स्यात्समः सर्वजनेषु च
Purified by various vows, daily bathing, and worship of Brahmins, he is compassionate to both friend and foe, and impartial to all people.
परस्वं न हरेद्यस्तु तृणमप्यटवीगतम्। कामक्रोधादिनिर्मुक्त इंद्रियैरजितः पुमान्
He who does not take another's property, not even a blade of grass found in the forest, who is free from desire and anger, yet whose senses remain unconquered.
परदारान्न गृह्णाति मनसापि गृहागतान्। नारद उवाच-। गायत्र्या लक्षणं किं वा प्रत्येकाक्षरजं गुणम्
He does not even mentally accept another's wife, even if she enters his house. Narada said: What is the characteristic of Gayatri, or the virtue of each of its syllables?
कुक्षिचरणगोत्राणां तस्या ब्रूहि सुनिश्चयम्। ब्रह्मोवाच-। छंदो गायत्री गायत्र्याः सविता देवता ध्रुवम्
Tell me with certainty about its womb, feet, and lineage. Brahma said: The meter of Gayatri is Gayatri; its deity is Savita, and it is fixed.
शुक्लवर्णात्वग्निमुखा विश्वामित्र ऋषिस्तथा। ब्रह्मणश्शिरआरूढा शिखा विष्णु हृदि स्थिता
It is white in color, has fire as its mouth, and its sage is Vishvamitra. Its head is established in Brahma, its crest in Vishnu, and it resides in the heart.
उपनयने नियोगः स्यात्सांख्यायन सगोत्रजा। त्रैलोक्यचरणा ज्ञेया पृथिवीकुक्षि संस्थिता
At the initiation, the injunction applies to those of the same lineage as Sankhyayana. It is known to traverse the three worlds and is established in the womb of the earth.
चतुर्विंशतिस्थाने च पादादौ मस्तकांतके। चतुर्विंशत्यक्षरं न्यस्य ब्रह्मलोकं स विंदति
By placing its twenty-four syllables at twenty-four locations from the feet to the crown of the head, one attains the world of Brahma.
प्रत्यर्णदेवतां ज्ञात्वा विष्णुसायुज्यमाप्नुयात्। अपरं च प्रवक्ष्यामि गायत्र्या लक्षणं ध्रुवं
Knowing the deity of each syllable, one attains union with Vishnu. I will also declare another fixed characteristic of Gayatri.
सप्तपंच तथा ब्रह्म यजुरष्टादशाक्षरम्। ज्वलनादिहकारांतं जले स्थित्वा शतं जपेत्
Brahma has seven and five, Yajur eighteen syllables. Ending with the syllable 'ha', recite it a hundred times while standing in water.
उपपातककोट्या तु तथातिपातकैरपि। ब्रह्महत्यादिभिः पापैर्मुक्ता यांति ममालयं
Even with millions of minor and major transgressions, and sins such as killing a Brahmin, those who do so are freed and reach my abode.
ॐअग्नेर्वाक्पुंसि यजुर्वेदेन जुष्टात्सोमं पिब स्वाहा। विष्णुमंत्रं महामंत्रं तथा माहेश्वरस्य च
'Om! Having been pleased by the Yajur Veda, drink Soma, Svaha!' The Vishnu mantra, the great mantra, and likewise the mantra of Maheshvara.
देवीसूर्यगणेशानां तथा क्रतुभुजां सुत। यस्य कस्य कुले जातो गुणवानेव तैर्गुणैः
For the deities, the Sun, Ganesha, and the sacrificers, O son, whoever is born in any lineage, if he possesses virtues, he is endowed with those qualities.
साक्षाद्ब्रह्ममयो विप्रः पूजनीयः प्रयत्नतः। दानं दद्याच्च विधिवत्सदा पर्वणि पर्वणि
A Brahmin who is directly composed of Brahman is to be worshipped with great care; one should always give gifts to him according to proper rites at every festival.
अक्षयं लभते दाता जन्मकोटिशतान्प्रति। स्वाध्यायनिरतो विप्रो यः पठेत्पाठयेत्परान्
The giver obtains inexhaustible merit for hundreds of millions of births; the Brahmin devoted to study, who recites and teaches others.
धर्मं च श्रावयेल्लोके सदाचारं श्रुतिं स्मृतिं। पुराणसंहितां नूनं तथैव धर्मसंहितां
He should cause the people to hear about dharma, good conduct, the Veda, the Smṛti, the Purāṇa collections, and likewise the Dharma collections.
श्रावयित्वा तु लोकेषु श्रावयित्वा द्विजातिषु। उर्व्यां विष्णुसमः सोपि पूजनीयो नरैः सुरैः1.46.
Having caused them to be heard among people and among the twice-born, he too, being like Viṣṇu on earth, is worthy of worship by men and gods.
यद्बलं चाक्षयं तस्य तीर्थभूतानघस्य च। समानमर्चनं कृत्वा नरो यात्यच्युतालयं
The inexhaustible power of that sinless one who has become a tīrtha is equal; by performing similar worship, a man attains the abode of Acyuta.
कदाचित्क्रियते पापं विप्रः पापैर्न लिप्यते। चांडालस्य गृहे निष्ठौ भास्करज्वलनौ यथा
If a sin is ever committed, the brāhmaṇa is not tainted by sins, just as the sun and fire are not tainted while remaining in the house of a caṇḍāla.
याजनाध्यापनाद्यौनात्तथैवासत्प्रतिग्रहात्। विप्राणां न भवेद्दोषो ज्वलनार्कसमा द्विजाः
From officiating at sacrifices, teaching, and receiving gifts from the wicked, there is no fault for brāhmaṇas; the twice-born are like fire and the sun.
तान्प्रतिग्रहजान्दोषान्प्राणायाम व्यवस्थिताः। नाशयंतीह पापानि वायुर्मेघमिवांबरे
Those faults arising from receiving gifts are destroyed here by those established in prāṇāyāma, just as wind destroys clouds in the sky.
गायत्रीं यो जपेन्नित्यं प्राणायामसमन्वितां। प्रत्यक्षरामरैर्युक्तां स्वाङ्गे विन्यस्य तामपि
Whoever recites the Gāyatrī daily, accompanied by prāṇāyāma, and places each syllable, endowed with its own deity, upon his own body—
सर्वपापाद्विनिर्मुक्तो जन्मकोटिकृतादपि। ब्रह्मणः पदवीं प्राप्य स गच्छेत्प्रकृतेः परम्
He becomes freed from all sins, even those accumulated over millions of births, and, having attained the path of Brahman, he goes beyond nature.
प्राणायामयुतां तस्माद्गायत्रीं जप नारद। नारद उवाच-। प्राणायामाः कथं ब्रह्मन्प्रत्येकाक्षरदेवताः
Therefore, Nārada, recite the Gāyatrī joined with prāṇāyāma. Nārada said: O Brāhman, how are the prāṇāyāmas and the deities of each syllable?
तेषां न्यासं तथांगेषु वद तात यथाक्रमम्। ब्रह्मोवाच-। गुददेशेत्वपानस्याद्धृदि प्राणोस्ति देहिनः
Tell me, father, how their placement is to be done on the limbs, in order. Brahmā said: At the region of the anus is apāna; in the heart is prāṇa of the embodied one.